Substrate to support live plants??

[Ilikepie9999]

I am currently looking to purchase the Exo-Terra high glass terrarium 24X18X36 and I am already having trouble keeping the humidity high in my Exo-Terra 18X18X24. What substrate should I use to have live plants for my veiled Cham???

 

[IvoryBolt]

Zero substrate...just keep them in pots and cover the dirt with rocks. =3

 

[lilychams55]

I use plantation soil on top of hydro balls with a hessian sheet in between and a bootle top in it to allow me to syphone out the water

 

[Ilikepie9999]

Pics Please??

 

[Tyaeda]

I wouldn't use any loose substrate because your chameleon might accidently or purposely eat it, become impacted, and die. Even the faux moss mats you can buy harbor bacteria really bad, and can make your chameleon sick. Cleaning, would also be a nightmare, especially if the plants are potted inside the enclosure.

For larger plants I would go with pots (with proper drainage) and for smaller ground covering plants, I would use planter boxes.

 

[camimom]

I wouldn't use any loose substrate because your chameleon might accidently or purposely eat it, become impacted, and die. Even the faux moss mats you can buy harbor bacteria really bad, and can make your chameleon sick. Cleaning, would also be a nightmare, especially if the plants are potted inside the enclosure.

For larger plants I would go with pots (with proper drainage) and for smaller ground covering plants, I would use planter boxes.

Please dont scare newbies.

Yes impaction is possible.

We recommend no substrates on the floor of the cage.

How old and what type of chameleon do you have?

The cage you mentioned is not large enough for veileds and panthers. I assume thats what you have as most newer members do.

Adults of both species need a 2x2x4 foot cage, with females being ok in a bit smaller one.

We always recommend live plants (From the safe plant list) and then we recommend putting large river rocks over the dirt so the chams cannot eat the dirt.

 

[fluxlizard]

I used glass terraria for my chams for a few years.

I always simply used a newspaper substrate and potted plants.

Water was provided by a light misting morning and evening, and a drip cup that dripped into a catch bowl for about 20 minutes daily.

The misting will dampen the newspaper and give off humidity for a few hours until the paper dries out. The paper should dry out completely between mistings or you will have mold/bacteria. The soil in the potted plants also gives off humidity, as does the act of respiration by the plants themselves. The drip system will also give off some humidity, as it splashes into the catch bowl and out onto the surrounding paper and glass and air, and the bowl itself will give off humidity through evaporation. The bowl should be emptied and cleaned every day prior to the drip running again.

Worked great for my animals at the time...

Another thing to consider is using a cool air humidifier in the room. A few people attach tubing to the humidifier and put it on a timer. The tubing runs into the terraria and blows the humid air into the cage itself- this creates a fog effect. It may be easiest to find an example of how to do it if you go to youtube and look at dart frog tank humidifier setups. But there are some videos also of this being used for chameleon cages.

Personally- I'd just run a humidifier in the room if the setup with the newspaper and drip system I described above does not work adequately for you. You don't want constant dampness- just some humidity. Constant dampness is unhealthy.

 

[fluxlizard]

By the way, I don't know if you have seen this thread (it should probably be stickied) but it has lots of ideas when using glass tanks-

https://www.chameleonforums.com/everyone-who-knows-you-cant-keep-chams-glass-31937/

 

[Tyaeda]

Please dont scare newbies.

Sorry, didn't mean to come off that way.

I think if you fill the bottom of the cage with planters, it will look as though it's a planted vivarium, without the potential issues. I mean, it's do-able, but I wouldn't personally go that route unless it were for pygmies.

 

[renderit1]

This guy shows how he setup his cage. I believe he uses Happy Frog soil. Hope this helps

http://youtu.be/PcIbzeCQ0R8

 

[lilychams55]

this is the best picture I have the soil is covered in fresh sheet moss

 

[ridgebax1]

I have the bottom of Omar's enclosure planted directly in the bottom tray. You have to be careful though because they will try to eat stuff they shouldn't. I had moss on the bottom for a while but he would try to eat it and I think it was the main culprit behind my fungus gnat infestation. You need to have really good drainage too. I mixed organic potting soil with play sand over a layer of smaller river rocks, the put the plants in, covered that with a weedblocker cloth, covered the cloth with a couple inches of play sand then topped that off with large river rocks. Omar will still patrol the bottom of the cage but there is nothing down there he can eat except for some smaller cham safe plants.

 

[lilychams55]

Mine never tries to eat it not any of them I only have 3 though